Okay you all… words will not do this wedding justice. I am and forever will be in absolute awe of this wedding I had the honor of shooting. At Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina, this was an exhilarating day! Mary and Angel were a STUNNING couple and their wedding was a true dream. Everything about the day was incredibly enchanting and something out of a fairytale. The fall October day was perfect. I can’t wait for you all to get a glimpse into their special wedding day!

mary + angel:

Not far from the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Mary and Angel live in Charlotte, NC. While they met in Charlotte when they were both living there, they actually moved to LA together to pursue careers in modeling and acting (and yes, they’re incredible at both). They are a STUNNING couple. Mary and Angel put together one of the most incredible weddings I’ve ever had the privilege of capturing!

getting ready:

There were so many special details involved in Mary’s wedding day look. Her stepfather who had passed prior to the wedding was honored through a locket that had his photo and a note in it that read “Love, Mark.” Mary also had a teddy bear with her that was made out of her stepfather’s shirt and it was so sweet to see the way she had him with her on her day.

Mary and Angel both got ready with their friends, including their I Do Crew full of about 40 people. Not all of those with them were in the wedding, but they all were by the couple’s side all day and dressed in a stunning similar color palette. The couple got ready in Airbnbs that were next door to each other and everyone was having SO much fun! There was SO much energy on the wedding morning! Mary’s friend even flew out from LA to do her wedding day hair — amazing Marilyn Monroe pin curls that flowed perfectly when they came down.

A first look with the girls? Count me in! Mary’s I Do Crew cheered her on and celebrated her so big when she revealed her wedding day look to them.

Mary’s mother helped her with the final touches before she had a special and sweet first look with her father. The bride’s look and the entire wedding day felt like it could have been a styled shoot simply because of how beautiful it was… I’m still not over it!!

their look:

Let’s talk about Mary and Angel’s look for a second. They already are such a stunning couple (and models, so they were so easy to photograph), but their actual wedding day look was to die for!! And every single part of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden was PICTURE PERFECT.

Mary wore a beautiful Galia Lahav dress that paired perfectly with her rose gold ring.

Angel sported a stunning Giorgio Armani suit and classy Louis Vuitton shoes that had red bottoms peeking out… not to mention his matching rose gold ring!

the ceremony at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden:

Upon arrival to the ceremony, guests could pick up confetti off a cart to save for the end. There was a “Once Upon a Time” guestbook with quill pens, and everything contributed to a huge fairytale day. Each seat had a program on it that had such pretty watercolor illustrations. Let’s not forget the crystal heart each wedding guest received! Mary and Angel loved crystals and so it was important for them to share that with the people who were a part of their day.

This whole day was one absolutely full of joy. After the flower girl and ring bearer walked the aisle, there was a flower girl and flower guy that walked down, throwing petals out of fanny packs to send the guests into laughter.

Mary’s walk down the aisle was precious and of course, Angel teared up when he saw his soon-to-be wife. Everyone was cheering at her entrance and she threw her bouquet in the air as she walked towards Angel… it was such a sweet moment! From the moment the ceremony started till the moment it ended, there was so much laughter and the couple was so obviously loved. They had been together for so many years, and you could tell how overjoyed everyone was to see them say “I do!”

After the kiss, something so magical happened… they released live butterflies! Mary had wanted this to be a part of their day and when Angel opened the box to release the monarch butterflies, it was movie scene. The butterflies even stayed on her dress and hands as they excited the ceremony and it was such a truly MAGICAL moment!!

the flowers:

The flowers for this wedding were STUNNING. Hannah of Le Petit Bloom took care of all florals for the day and absolutely crushed it. She put together a beautiful neutral bouquet for Mary which paired beautifully with her dress!

For the ceremony, Hannah put together a whole “meadow.” I had never seen this before but the look completely transformed the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in the best way possible.

the newlyweds:

After Mary and Angel became Mr. and Mrs. we took on sunset for some photos of the two of them! They ran through the gardens to spin and twirl for some fairytale shots.

the reception:

The reception kicked off inside for a candlelit dinner and like every other part of the day… stunning. The napkins said “ginger and spice make everything nice” and each detail was so thought through!

The entire I Do Crew had grand entrances to the reception and the night was filled with lots and lots of toasts to the newlyweds. Angel even performed a surprise dance to “I Want It That Way” with his guys and crushed it. Mary was so shocked and it was SUCH a fun moment!!

After about an hour of dancing at the reception, it was time for “Hora Loca” — crazy hour. A bunch of exotic dancers came in with confetti and dry ice cannons and the crowd was exhilarating!! They put a headdress on Mary and and a mask on Angel and the whole night was absolutely energetic and a blast.

I am so honored that Elizabeth Sellers Photo got to capture this day. The people around Angel and Mary during their day were so important to them and it was such a fairytale wedding. I loved getting to meet all of their friends from Charlotte and LA, and to see how loved they were!

At Elizabeth Sellers Photo, I know the importance of capturing your day in a way that will make you relive it over and over again. Ready to plan your wedding day photos? Let’s talk soon, future bestie!!